Central Asia

Today's news: Beijing breaks off talks with the US on nuclear arms control in Taiwan. The Knesset rejects the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry on 7 October, satisfied Netanyahu. Japanese PM apologised to victims of forced sterilisation. Indian economy has the fastest growth rate among emerging nations.

Behind the arrest in recent weeks of the former deputy leader of the Democratic Party Saidžafar Usmonzoda and other well-known personalities in Tajik society is the accusation of trying to overthrow President Rakhmon. But among analysts few believe in an action with a chance of success and some fear a ploy to get rid of a figure no longer serving their interests.

In a vademecum aimed in particular at workers from Central Asia all the behaviour to avoid in order not to suffer the measure, specco accompanied by a ban on re-entry for a period of between 3 and 5 years. A further 20 new articles of the Administrative Code have been added to the offences already reported directly by the police.

Today's news: three civilians killed in an Israeli raid in southern Lebanon, in Gaza the attack on the UN school exceeds 20 dead; Talks between Palestinian factions on 20 and 21 July in China; High North Korean official in Cuba defects and flees to South Korea; Bangkok court postpones extradition hearing in Vietnam for activist Montagnard Y Quynh Bdap.

Today's news: No chance of finding 55 passengers missing from the landslide that swept away their buses in Nepal; Alliance of minority groups agree four-day truce with the Burmese army in Shan State; Islamabad reaches agreement with the IMF on a seven billion dollar loan; Kuwait announces the discovery of a huge new oil field.

Despite its rich energy resources, for which it receives billions of dollars from exports, Turkmenistan continues to experience a severe internal economic crisis. And with the greatest difficulties in emigrating to other countries, thousands from the villages flock to the capital in search of work. With police harassing the 'vagrants'.

Fears of Islamic radicalisation have made it an increasingly hot-button issue for Astana. The culture minister is proposing a ban on the hijab and niqāb, and President Tokaev himself has described them as "an archaic form of clothing", sparking protests and flash-mobs on social networks. The constitution, which does not provide for such diviedi, was invoked.

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit dozens of cooperation agreements were signed in the fields of energy, trade and defence at the external borders. But - beyond the proclamations on the rejection of the dollar - China, India, Pakistan and the Central Asian countries remain well integrated in the world economy, taking care not to be dragged into the abyss of sanctions against Russia.

Although not officially recognised, Tajikistan turns more than a blind eye to this practice. And in a country where 70% of families survive only thanks to subsidies sent by migrants working abroad, for women left alone and in poverty even the status of second or third wife of someone who has made their fortune can become an aspiration.

There are now more than a million citizens of the country who recognise themselves in this shamanic confession of Turkish-Mongolian origin, which is based on the worship of nature and the altenats. A petition calls for its official recognition in Astana, but many consider it only a moral philosophy. Pre-Islamic local traditions survive in Kazakhstan.

On his visit to Tashkent, President Khürelsükh was accompanied by a large delegation from Mongolia's business community. In the past two years the Uzbek economy has grown a lot, doubling all its indicators.

In the country led by the president-son Serdar Berdymukhamedov, kinship relations are multiplying among officials at every level, while without blood ties it is very difficult to get ahead, even for the most gifted, perhaps even with a degree abroad.